Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump

I became a fan of Dan Pfeiffer back in the Keeping it 1600 podcast days. It was at a time that I and much of the US was terrified of the mere thought of a Drumpf presidency. When that disaster became a reality I stayed with the crew and have continued to enjoy all of their Crooked Media ventures. The concept of Yes We Still Can is great, what worked well in the Obama presidency that we can tap to get a Democrat elected in 2020. To spur along this discussion Dan brings his extensive political background and insider Obama stories from his six years in the White House.

And in some ways, I think the book succeeds. There are some great stories, good anecdotes, and a hopeful message that I, in particular, need right now. What I think Dan failed to do though was capture a succinct perspective that he often says is the key to get a Democrat elected. The book is equal parts Drumpf hate (which I concur with) and defining characteristics that made Obama successful but I don't think he ever brings the two together.

Even at the tail end of the book when he gives him five or so keys for a successful democratic Presidential run it basically sounded like he was saying we need an Obama clone. Which last time I checked doesn't exist. I also found a lot of the material in the book to be a repeat of what is said on a weekly basis on Pod Save America. And even with all of that, I enjoyed Yes We Still Can. There's a hopeful message in it that I think is incredibly important in a US that is both divided and dark.